I have wanted something lighter than my N frames and 1006 for hiking in cool weather here in north Georgia. Being a big fan of the Shield, having purchased three in 9mm, I borrowed a neighbor's Shield in .40 S&W and ran two magazines through it. The gun simply had more recoil than I wanted to try to deal with in a emergency situation.

A week ago I walked into my favorite LGS and there was a hardly used Sig P239 .40 S&W lying on the counter...a fresh trade that was not even on the books yet. I was offered the Sig for about what a used S&W 10 cost around here. I put it on lay-a-way and picked it up late Thursday.

Underwood offers a hardcast flat nose 200 grain load. If it feeds reliably, the round should be capable of stopping a black bear should I be able to hit it fast enough.

I owned a Sig P239 about seven years ago but let it go and replaced it with a P225, which I still have. I had a P226 in .40 S&W six months ago but it was just too huge to try to conceal.

Looks like a keeper.
Must update with reliability report.

Sig products are reliable to Hell and back...according to their advertisements. I am just going to north Georgia/western North Carolina. I should be fine.

The .40 cal. P239 is a great SD handgun. I carried one as my off duty cc for several years, but never considered it for use against bear. As with anything, shot placement would have a great deal to do with stopping a black bear. Does Buffalo Bore make a .40 cal. bear load?

I had a 239 in 40 cal back when they first came out, only thing I didn't like about it was how fast the metal rusted.
It was a great shooter.

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John

Buffalo Bore makes a few heavy loads but not with a 200 grain hard cast bullet. Double Tap does.

I would agree with a heavy, hard cast bullet. Penetration is the key.

I carry the Double Tap load 200 gr WNGC hard cast bullet in a .40 in bear country also.

200 grains of hardcast at 1000 fps should certainly work.

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Even older, even crankier....

In October 2011 In Muskingum County, Ohio a man released his privet collection of zoo animals. The first deputy on the sean was confronted by a semi-domesticated grizzly bear. The bear was not angered, but was wondering about. The deputy drew and fired his 40 S&W side arm and dropped and killed the bear instantly.

40 S&W should handle a Southern Black Bear! Ivan

Its heavy and doesn't have a high capacity, but the 239 in .40 is at the top of my list of guns I enjoy shooting and even carrying IWB with a Crossbreed holster. If you ever get the chance to handle one with the Crimson Trace grips, you'll probably refuse to hand it back. I found them to be a perfect fit for this gun. If I'm ever having a frustrating day at the range with accuracy, I can always grab this dude to rebuild my confidence. I can't say enough good things about this heavy, low capacity, .40!

I do believe that for any bear, the 'bear' minimum that those who know recommend is the following recipe: A caliber that begins with '4', a bullet of at least 200 grains, and a muzzle velocity no less than 1,000 ft/s.

Honestly, .40 S&W doesn't really make the cut, especially with a barrel of less than 4 inches. I personally like the .41 magnum with 265 gr. hardcast flat-points that do an honest 1,000-1,100 ft/s from a 4 inch model 58. Not too hard kicking so capable of quick follow up shots, but really packs a wallop.

A semi auto for Black bear? I'd be thinking Glock 10mm with a extra
mag or two.

S&w m58 / 41mag. 4"barrel. I carried a security six ruger snubbie in 357mag for decades hiking in bear country hiking with the family my kids never knew I was packing. Didn't want then to be afraid.
My Speer 140gr jhp loads would do the job.

Warning, in the monsoon rains two guys wandered from two mountains over. Tracking a bear they shot. We never found it. The following year we shot a bear. I found a perfect 30cal bullet in his rear quarter.
They shot it in the back.

Choose your shot placement wisely. This is why I ccw carry at my camp. Some trigger happy goaltender comes up here hunting shooting dangerous game anywhere. Then we go look for a mad wounded bear.

My point is do you feel safe with your 40cal in the wilds?

Big Bill: In a situation like that, my Remingon 760 carbine in 30-06, with Weaver k 2.5 and 180 gr Noslers, is about perfect.

Attached Images

L1010523.jpg (41.9 KB, 19 views)

How is the IWB holster coming along?

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Release the Kraken

Came here expecting a Marlin 1895 or 444, Rossi 92 in .454 Casull, or maybe something a little more exotic like a Savage 99 in .358 or a Win 71.

Which is odd since black bear in the West tend to be smaller than those back East. I guess when I think bear I think a levergun in a caliber over .30. I recently sold a Marlin 1895 in .45-70 to a guy going black bear hunting in the Cascades. A big punch can't be a bad idea with a bear!

Have you run this past the bears yet? I understand that they are partial to large bore revolvers.

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Forum consigliere

In the OP ColbyBruce bought his P239 for hiking where the potential for black bear encounters is possible. I also do quite a bit of hiking in black bear country and I have a P239 in .40 and 357 Sig. As much as I love the gun, IMO it's just too big for casual light hiking. My hikes are often long and weight and comfort is a big factor. My preference has long been my 649-3 in .357. It's easy to pocket or holster carry and I find it to be very accurate. It's also ungodly loud. I've always thought that a round in the dirt might be enough to detract a bear. I've encountered bear but never in a situation where I thought I would have to shoot.

By the way, I put Hogue Cocobolo smooth wood grips on my P239. Turned it into a gorgeous gun!

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I'm gonna grow fins.

The sling is quite comfortable. I had the rifle when stationed in Alaska. Also had a Win M 70 in 458. Carried the 458 when out berry picking with the family. Berries are abundant in Alaska, but that guy picking them on the other side of the bush may turn out to be a bear. The 458 got pretty heavy so I turned to the Rem 760 carbine in 30-06.. I loaded it with 220s. Quite easy to sling and didn't get in the way. Much more effective than a pistol; I also carried it when fishing for salmon, as bears also enjoy salmon fishing.

I've seen many black bears here in the California back country, but never had a problem with them. They are just as afraid of me as I am of them.

I never used to carry a gun.

I don't backpack much now days, but if I did I'd carry something.

But no way I'd carry a 40 oz revolver. That weighs as much as my sleeping bag or gas camping stove and pots.

I might carry my LCR 357, though because at 17 oz it's reasonable.

Here in CA I can only carry any of three guns that I put on my CCW permit, and open carry is illegal most places. So unless I was willing to dedicate one of my three CCW slots to a big revolver, I'd have to bring one of my carry guns or nothing.

As for a rifle when backpacking around here -- not a chance.

My hunting season / hiking in the backwoods sidearm is a S&W 329 NG loaded with Buffalo Bore .44mag, 255gr. Keith-low recoil ammo; total weight is 31 ounces.

I carry it because black bears, wild hogs, and alligators are frequently encountered (in the dark) where I deer hunt.

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

When I'm in the woods, which maybe once or twice a year it's for a weekend of camping and not near any camping grounds. It's a good hour hike up a steep rocky Mountain so my bear gun is more along the lines of 7.62 with 30 round magazines

This is a recurring topic on every gun forum I belong to. I don't have the reference in front of me, but there have been studies that indicate bear spray is more effective, in most cases, than a handgun. People using spray were less likely to be injured than those defending themselves with a handgun. That said, I understand the firearm of preference for those in Grizzly country is a shotgun with slugs. I've only encountered a couple of black bear over many years in the mountains, but as Cal44 says, they were more afraid of me than I was of them.

My scary wildlife encounter was a cow moose with two calves that shared a small trout stream. I was carrying a Smith 19 at the time, but after she snorted and stomped a bit, she gathered the kids and took off. Was a fair amount of time before my heart rate returned to normal.